Baby left in shopping cart in Lebanon, parents may be charged

LEBANON, Mo. (AP) -- A southern Missouri couple may be charged after their 2-month-old baby was left in a shopping cart outside a Wal-Mart.

Lebanon police say the couple had finished their shopping on July 4, loaded their car and drove off without taking the baby. A witness said he watched the couple drive away, leaving the baby behind.

Twenty minutes later, the frantic parents called Wal-Mart. Police said the couple first lied about why they sped away, claiming a neighbor had called to report someone was breaking into their home. But they eventually admitted that they simply forgot the infant.

Both parents were arrested on suspicion of endangering the welfare of a child and released, pending possible formal charges by Laclede County prosecutors.

Police say the baby is staying with a relative and is in good condition.

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Information from: KYTV-TV, http://www.ky3.com